The Prince Cold-hearted
by LadyAlambiel
Summary: "Yes. You are the prince cold-hearted."


Disclaimer: I don't own Narnia or any characters you may recognize from the books or the movies, I wish I did but I don't...

Summary: "Yes. You are the prince cold-hearted."

A/N: This story was requested by MarchingBandNerd and is part of my _A Light in the Darkness_ universe. This story is based on the suggestion for an Edmund and Peter hurt/comfort situation. Enjoy!

**The Prince Cold-hearted**

ӁӁӁӁӁӁӁӁӁӁӁӁӁӁӁ

Snow. Snow was everywhere, glistening, cold, and white. Clad in silver and black clothes and a silver cloak, he stalked past the cowering crowds and the statues to the castle's entrance. Oh how the crowds shrank back at his passing, even those stupid Centaurs would not look him in the eye. He entered the palace, glistening in its icy splendor, and gave Maugrim a haughty stare when the Wolf dared growl sullenly.

He scanned the hall then snapped, "Take my cloak, you idiot!"

Once proud shoulders slumped forward and his once haughty gait now marred by a limp, his one-time brother crept from the shadows. He looked with disgust on the thin face and lank, blond hair. "I said. Take. My. Cloak. Do you want another whipping?"

"N-no, Ed- I mean, no, My Prince."

He sneered and threw his cloak into Peter's face. "Now go get my beaver hat."

Something flickered in those sorrowful blue eyes. Peter hung his head. "You didn't have to do that to them. They just tried to help us. Having them turned to stone would have been more merciful."

"Mercy is weakness." He smirked then added coldly, "Besides, Jadis said I could have anything I wanted. I wanted that stupid rodent to pay. He laughed at me. No one laughs at me. Now go get my beaver hat and be grateful I didn't have those sniveling little twits revived from their faints while the…procedure was being carried out." He grabbed the whip he had wrested from Ginarrbrik just before he killed him under Jadis' approving gaze. It gave him a feeling of power as Peter dropped to one knee with a startled cry as the whip left a stinging kiss through his shirt.

Peter looked over his shoulder at him but there was no fury in his expression. Not even the right amount of fear. "Mr. Beaver never meant to insult you, Edmund. He was just…surprised that you hadn't heard about Aslan. He would have had the same reaction to any of us since we didn't know Aslan then either."

He flinched at the Name. Gripping the whip, he pointed it at Peter. "Don't say that Name again. You don't want what happened to little, precious, baby Lucy to happen again, do you?"

He had expected that reminder to cow Peter. After all, he had taken great pains to make sure Peter and Susan were able to watch when he requested Jadis turn Lucy to stone after she wouldn't stop grabbing his hand and pleading for him to just ask As- that Great Cat to help. He still relished the remembered looks of horror on his pathetic siblings' faces when faced with that statue. He had forced Peter to help two Ogres move the statue to the second landing and Susan had to dust it off every day. However, his brother merely whispered, "It's not too late, Eddie. Aslan won't gi-"

"Don't say that Name! Are you such an idiot that you can't comprehend a simple command?" He shoved his brother hard, sneering as Peter's injured leg gave out and his brother crumpled to the floor. Clenching his fists, he drew his foot back to kick Peter then stopped. He leapt over him. "You want to defy me? I'm the prince and you are my servant, no, you are now my slave! I control everything in your life, understand? Everything! I'll teach you what happens when you defy me, you useless oaf!"

He sprinted up to the second landing and circled the statue. Peter rose to his feet, horror marking his face. "Edmund! No! Don't! You might break her!"

He sneered over the statue's head. "Why don't you just catch her, slave?" He shoved the statue and laughed when Peter's cry of pain echoed through the icy stairwell. Then he pointed at one of the Minoboars nearby. "Go fetch my maid. Now!"

He took the steps two at a time as he went down to see what had happened to the buffoon. A cold, emotionless smile spread across his face as he observed Peter's helpless wriggling and pained gasps as the statue pinned his torso and legs. He gestured to an Ogre and the brute lifted the statue free of Peter. His brother's legs didn't move. Peter raised one hand. "Please, Ed-"

He kicked him in the ribs, another cold smile firmly in place, and cut him off coolly, "I have an announcement. I wasn't going to make it until tomorrow but I think you'll enjoy hearing the good news now. Or at least as soon as Susan joins us."

A wariness crept over Peter's face. "W-what are you going to do?"

"I'm not saying until Susan's here. What luck! Here she comes now!"

The Minoboar shoved a girl to the floor next to Peter and the statue. Her pale skin was marred by bruises and dark circles beneath her haunted eyes. Her long black hair was in snarls and held back sloppily by a kerchief matched by the rough dress that hung on her emaciated frame. "Edmund?" Her blue gaze flickered to Peter and she gasped, "Peter! What did you do to him? Wasn't it enough when you lamed him?"

He sneered then caught her by her hair. "Be quiet! I have some wonderful news for you, pretty Susan. Don't you want to hear it?" She cringed and her bottom lip trembled as tears filled her eyes once again. He shoved her back then moved so he could watch his siblings' pathetic faces. "You remember Borak, don't you, Susie?"

She blanched and Peter raised his head. "Don't. Eddie, please."

"Shut up!" He cleared his throat then resumed a cool tone as he continued, "Well, Borak certainly remembers you, his tasty little doll. He and his followers finally made themselves useful by eating some of the more annoying rabble-rousers including Oreius. I have been given the charge of rewarding him." He looked Susan's shuddering form over then mused, "I suppose I'll let you have a new dress or two for the journey. Don't look so worried, Susan, Borak has no idea that you're a maid. He thinks he's getting a princess or at least a duchess. I don't remember what lie I told him. And by the time he adds you as his newest plaything, well, I'm sure he won't be inclined to kill you right away when he finds out you are nothing to me."

Susan screamed, "No! Please, Edmund!"

Peter roared and struggled to rise, only for his body to betray him so all he could do was crawl toward the insipid little twit. Edmund waited until they were reaching for each other and then snapped his fingers. The Minoboar grabbed Susan by the arm and dragged her away. She suddenly showed more life than she had in the past year and a half, kicking and scratching, as she screamed, "No! Peter! Help me! Edmund! Edmund, please! Help! Help! Peeeeeeter! Peeeeeeeter!"

Her screams echoed through the ice palace long after she had been dragged out of sight. Edmund chuckled. Terrorizing Susan had ceased to be fun. She was always so skittish, so easy to frighten even in that other place. It had only taken a little mouse to scare her then. Going to the Giant Borak, well, it wouldn't last too long before he wearied of his new plaything and ate her.

"Why?"

Edmund turned. "What?" He set one black boot on Peter's back and leaned forward. His pathetic waste of a brother gasped.

But still he did not learn his lesson. "Why? Why would you do this to her, Eddie? To them? All you have to do is turn to Aslan and Jadis won't be able to control you anymore. He can save Susan and Lucy both. I know Lucy's a statue but it is said that Aslan's breath can restore the dead. Please, Edmund, brother mine, please just speak to Him, ask for Him to help you and He will. I know He will."

"Be quiet!"

"N-no." Peter licked his lips nervously but then his voice gained strength and a nobl- no, a haughty edge that should have been long beaten out of him. "You need to hear this, Edmund. You need to know about Aslan. He is-"

"Weak! That stupid Great Cat is dead for all you know!" He glared at his brother then kicked him hard. He smirked as Peter gasped in pain and pressed a hand to his ribs. "And if you don't want to end up like Him, you need to be quiet."

"I- I'd rather be like Him than like Her."

Edmund's jaw tightened. He had his own plan to rid himself of Jadis once the time was right. But, for now he was content to let her believe that she yet held the reins of power. He kicked Peter in the ribs again. "Be quiet!"

"Can't you see?" Peter gasped, a little blood now dotting the corner of his mouth, then he dared to touch Edmund's boot. "Can't you see? This isn't you. Not really. I know the real Edmund Alexander Pevensie is in there somewhere. Aslan can free you of all this, you just have to ask. All you have to do is ask."

He gestured sharply to the Ogres and Peter's rambling stuttered to a halt. Black-ringed blue eyes looked up at him pleadingly. Peter shook his head once in silent supplication. Edmund merely smirked then he pointed at that stupid statue. "Destroy it."

"No!" Peter's scream of denial echoed through the ice palace over the guttural laughter of the Ogres as they slammed their war hammers into the statue. Fine fissures spread throughout the statue's grey surface, deepening with every blow. "Edmund! Stop! Aslan can heal her! Don't destroy her! Stop!"

Such pathetic pleadings. How had this buffoon been meant to be a leader of anything? The Ogres kept pounding until finally there was nothing left of the statue save for the smallest of fragments and grey dust. Peter drew in a gasping breath and Edmund smirked down at him. "You're not going to talk about things I've forbidden anymore, are you, Pevensie?"

"She's with Aslan. She's in a better place and Susan will be too." Peter looked up at him. "Please, Eddie. You need to listen before She twists you so far you don't want to find your way back. Aslan is here. She hasn't really kept Him from entering Narnia. He may not be present physically but He is always present in the hearts of His followers. He will help us, He will help _you_!"

"Shut up!" Edmund kicked him in the ribs. "When will you ever learn that I am in control?" He punctuated every word with a kick. "I. Am. The. Prince. You. Are. My. Slave."

"You're still my brother." Peter made an odd little gasping sound and Edmund abruptly stilled. He stared down at his brother. "Love- Love you, Eddie. S-sorry I couldn't…save…you. Aslan…forgive us…both."

His head lolled to the side and Edmund took a small step back. Dead. He wasn't supposed to be dead. "Peter?" He dropped to his knees next to him and grabbed his torn, bloody tunic, shaking him. "Peter? Wake up, you lummox! Wake up! If this is some game you're playing, I'll make you regret it." _But, it's not a game_, a little voice whispered inside his head, _he's dead. They're all dead and you've killed them._ "Peter! Wake up!" He shook him and ranted then begged but still Peter lay cold and unmoving. "Peter! I didn't want this! I just- I wanted you to respect me, I didn't want to be in your shadow anymore. I wanted to show you I could be a better leader. I didn't want this! I didn't want to kill you! I- I'll get Susan back. I'll get her back and we can…we can fix this. I never wanted this, Peter! I swear! I never wanted this!"

A voice, deceptively soft and yet so very cold, numbed his ear. "Oh but you did want this, my little prince."

"N-no. I-"

"You may have said you wanted servants, but we both know that you are just as cold-hearted as if you really were my son." Jadis pressed a frozen kiss against his cheek and he couldn't flinch away even though a little voice in the back of his mind was gibbering with fear at her unwanted touch. "You didn't want your siblings to be servants. You wanted to toy with them, to punish them, and to _destroy_ them."

"No."

Jadis' cold laugh filled his ears as her icy touch chilled him to the bone. "Yes. You are the prince cold-hearted and now Aslan cannot even use your pathetic little family to "rescue" Narnia. Thanks to your work today, of course. Perhaps I shall make you my King as a reward."

He fell back, scrambling away but the chains linked to the manacles about his ankles wouldn't let him escape. No longer in power, real or imagined. He was now the prisoner. Jadis loomed over him. "No! I didn't want this! I didn't want this! Peter!" Peter was nowhere to be seen. Edmund trembled with fear then he lifted his head and screamed with all he had, "ASLAN! Aslan! Help me! I didn't want this! I didn't want this! Aslan!"

Jadis flinched.

"Aslan! Peter! Oh Aslan, Peter! ASLAN! Help me! I didn't want this! I swear I didn't want this!"

Suddenly hands grabbed his arms. "Edmund!" He slapped at her hands. Why didn't she flee at Aslan's Name? "Ow! Stop thrashing! Edmund, wake up! Eddie! Come on, Eddie, it's just a nightmare. Wake up now. Wake up!"

Edmund jolted upright, gasping for breath. Peter was leaning over the bed, framed by the light of a candle and watching him with puzzled concern. He didn't give his brother a chance to speak. Instead, he threw his arms around his brother's neck and squeezed tight. "Peter! Peter, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I didn't want that. I swear I didn't want that!"

"Shh, Eddie. It's all right. What didn't you want?" Peter wrapped his arms around him in the strong sort of hug that always reminded him of the long ago hugs from Dad in Spare Oom.

"I didn't want to be like Jadis. Not like that, not really. I would never do those things to you and the girls." He abruptly pulled out his brother's hug, eyes wild as alarm coursed through him. "Susan and Lucy!" he gasped. "Lucy's shattered! Susan…" He jumped off the bed, nearly tripping over his own feet, the tangled bedclothes, and his Wolves who were watching him with wide yellow eyes. He scrubbed his hands through his hair. "Peter, I- I sent her to be _Borak's_ plaything! We have to get her."

"Wait a minute, Ed." Peter grasped his arm, pulling him to a halt before he could fumble with the wardrobe doors. "It was a dream. The girls are fine. Lu's asleep in her bed and Susan's still in the library, knitting you some socks."

"S-socks?"

Peter smiled. "Yes, she still hasn't figured out what we've been doing to ruin them."

A low laugh escaped him in spite of his best efforts at the reminder of the game. Then he scrubbed his face with his sleeve. "Ahem, maybe I should just go tell her goodnight then." He got halfway to the door then paused. "Peter?"

"Yes, Ed?"

"Well, I, uh, love you."

His brother stood there, looking more than a bit surprised, then he grinned and pulled him into a bone-crushing hug. "Love you too, Ed. You're not a bit like Her, by the way. Not one bit."

He dropped his gaze and nodded. "Yeah, thanks to Aslan." He forced himself to scowl and then shoved Peter away. "Now don't you start blubbering all over me, you great lummox."

Edmund spun on his heel at his brother's laugh only to stop, face warming as he met the concerned gazes of his sisters. Lucy didn't even hesitate before she ran to him and caught him in a strong hug. "Oh Edmund, what a terrible nightmare you must have been having! I'm glad Peter was able to wake you."

Half a moment later, Susan laid a delicate hand against his forehead, brushing back his bangs (which were getting a bit long). "Are you sure you're all right now? Remus said you were terribly upset."

It took more courage than he thought it might to admit the details of the nightmare to his sisters. But, they only held his hands and murmured comfortingly to him while Peter wrapped all three of them in a fierce embrace. As the night ebbed into day, Edmund finally fell asleep again. However, he woke once to find himself still surrounded by his siblings. Someone else was moving about the room then two grey forms leapt atop the bed. Edmund hid a slight smile as his Wolves settled themselves as close as possible. He thanked Aslan that he had been rescued from Jadis' trap (and awakened to the reality of Her poisoned words) before it was too late. He thanked Him for giving him a big brother who didn't mind waking him from nightmares and sisters who didn't object to spending the night to keep any lingering nightmares at bay. Most of all, he thanked Aslan that he was the Just King and not the prince cold-hearted.

ӁӁӁӁӁӁӁӁӁӁӁӁӁӁӁ

**A/N: Please Read and Review! The reference to the game that ruins socks is expanded on in hilarious detail in WillowDryad's _Socks_. If you haven't read it, you need too. You won't be able to breathe afterwards but you won't regret it. ;) This oneshot is set in Year 8 of their reign so I imagine this is shortly after Edmund and co get back from the torment I put them through in _ALitD: Reflected_ and a little bit before the wedding. Leave a review and let me know what y'all thought about this one and if you have more requests.**


End file.
